


The Rule of Three

by Pseudonymoose



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Confessions, Established Relationship, Grysks (Star Wars), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker Are Not Married, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:40:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29025120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pseudonymoose/pseuds/Pseudonymoose
Summary: Bad things occur in sets of three.The third blow falls at the edge of the Unknown, and Obi-Wan has never been more unprepared. Anakin struggles to catch him.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 8
Kudos: 181





	The Rule of Three

“You know, my mother used to say that bad things always come in threes.”

Ahsoka dropped her fighter into a roll to avoid a vulture droid. She came out of it in time to see Anakin and Artoo blast through a second on her right.

Another voice came over the comlink. “Anakin, not that your mother wasn’t a fount of wisdom, but is this really the best time?”

“I’m just saying,” she heard Anakin reply. “The intel from that Bothan was dodgy. The factory wasn’t as lightly guarded as we’d thought; that’s bad thing number one. Now we’ve got what seems like half the Separatist fleet on top of us. That’s bad thing number two. So—”

“Thank you, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, interference not diminishing the sharpness of his words. “We get the picture.”

Anakin ignored him. “ _So_ , we shouldn’t be surprised if Dooku himself shows up. Actually, I take it back; that would be a good thing. Haven’t heard from him in a while. Snips, you’ve got one on your tail.”

Ahsoka made a harsh turn to the left. “I see it.” She led the droid towards their cruiser and into the path of its cannons. It quickly vanished from the scanner, reduced to shrapnel.

She had lost sight of Anakin, but she could still hear him. He appeared to be having a rant, which Ahsoka had missed part of while concentrating on not getting blown up or ripped apart: “If I see that Bothan again, he’s going to wish I hadn’t. Where did we get him from, anyway?”

“I don’t know,” Obi-Wan answered. “Something to do with the Senate.”

“Great, politics.”

“Uh, Master?” Ahsoka said. “We’re kind of in the middle of something here.”

Her fighter squeezed between two droids and pulled upwards. She was dismayed not to see the light of an explosion; she’d hoped they would crash into each other. That move always worked better when Anakin did it. Speaking of her Master—he was back in her field of vision.

“Good try, Snips, but you know that move always works better when I do it.”

Ahsoka scowled as she watched him swoop in and take out both of the droids with ease. “Whatever, Skyguy.” She brought down another droid that had been tailing Anakin in a wave of blaster fire, which lessened her irritation. “Master Kenobi, I don’t think this is working.”

“Hey, it’s not so bad—”

“I agree with Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan’s voice said. Ahsoka could imagine his grim expression. “The intel was misleading, and it’s not worth continuing to risk lives.”

“Now hang on, I think if we—”

“No, Anakin. We’re pulling out.” A light blinked on the console, signalling that Obi-Wan was addressing all of their forces. “This is General Kenobi. All fighters, return to the cruiser. Prepare to jump to hyperspace.”

Ahsoka swerved and headed back to the _Negotiator_ , firing on any droids that wandered into her path. She was one of the last to land in the hangar, and saw the blast doors close above her as she climbed out of her fighter. Rex passed her in a corridor, helmet on, his arm around a staggering clone pilot. He didn’t stop to acknowledge her.

Anakin had already joined Obi-Wan and Cody on the bridge when Ahsoka arrived, grouped around the holotable. The viewports far behind them showed the blue eddies of hyperspace.

“At least now we have a better idea of the factory’s security,” Obi-Wan was saying. “That will make a return mission easier.”

Anakin scoffed. “Provided they don’t step it up even more now they know we’re on to them.”

Ahsoka decided to lurk in the doorway, wondering how long it would take for someone to notice her. Anakin was clearly in a mood.

“General Skywalker has a point,” Cody said.

“It’s a risk, yes, but there was no other option,” Obi-Wan replied.

“Actually—”

“If you’re about to suggest that we should have stayed and waited for reinforcements, Anakin, then I don’t want to hear it.” Obi-Wan’s tone brooked no debate, but, naturally, Anakin tried it anyway.

“We could have stuck to the original plan and sent down a landing party.”

“They’d never have reached the ground alive.”

“Ahsoka and I would have covered them.”

“And if, by some miracle, they had reached the factory?” Obi-Wan shook his head. “They’d never have had time to plant the charges before they would have been inundated with battle droids.”

“I could have done it,” Anakin protested.

“Perhaps,” Obi-Wan allowed, “but not if you were covering their descent. Do tell me how you were planning to be in two places at once?”

Great question, Ahsoka thought. With Anakin briefly silent, she took the opportunity to enter the bridge. Cody nodded to her, which she returned, but the two Jedi had eyes only for each other. It was a familiar scene.

“All I am saying,” Anakin said, “is that we could have tried.”

Obi-Wan frowned. “And how many lives would we have lost in the process?”

“How many lives will be lost to the droids coming out of that factory?”

Ahsoka bowed her head. Her Master was right, even if he wasn’t being very diplomatic about it. Knowing that the factory was still down there, undamaged and continuing to churn out killing machines, made her ache. She wanted it destroyed just as much as Anakin did. They all did.

Obi-Wan sighed. “Anakin, be reasonable. This was meant to be a straightforward mission, the nearest reinforcements were hours away. If we’d stayed and tried to complete it, we could all have been killed. It’s not only your life that you’d have been risking.”

Anakin glanced at Cody, spotted Ahsoka, and grimaced. Ahsoka found that she couldn’t meet his eye. Rex and the clones, they’d follow him anywhere. If he’d told them to stay and fight, they would have stayed, and they would have fought to the last. So would she. And that was the problem. She crossed her arms, glad that the Council had placed Obi-Wan in charge of this mission. Someone had to know when to stop, because the rest of them certainly didn’t.

“We could still have tried,” Anakin said. He turned on his heel and strode from the bridge.

Ahsoka moved to go after him, but Cody stopped her. “Leave him, Commander. He needs some space.”

Obi-Wan turned and walked down the catwalk to gaze out of the central viewport. He ran a hand through his hair, messing up the back then smoothing it down. That was Obi-Wan all over, Ahsoka mused: a moment of frustration, then a return to calm, as if that moment had never happened. She went to join him, but again, Cody held her back.

“I… think the debrief is over, Commander,” he said quietly. Cody caught her eye and a knowing look passed between them.

“I think you’re right, Commander,” Ahsoka said. Whenever there was a clash between Generals Kenobi and Skywalker, it was never just a military dispute. It was always an argument between Anakin and Obi-Wan, and until they sorted themselves out… “Maybe you could push General Kenobi in General Skywalker’s direction?” she suggested innocently. “Later, I mean. When Anakin’s had a chance to calm down.”

“Good plan,” Cody said. He offered her a smile, then patted her shoulder once and descended into the crew pit.

Ahsoka took a last look at Obi-Wan, staring into nothing, and left the bridge. Her fellow Jedi might not have need of her, but Rex was sure to have something for her to do. Anything to not be around if Anakin and Obi-Wan failed to solve their spat and turned it into a full-blown quarrel. That was never fun.

* * *

A spark leapt from the innards of the Delta-7B starfighter and caught the exposed skin of Anakin’s wrist. He swore and pulled back his hand, nearly dropping his wrench. Artoo beeped at him beside the ship.

“Oh, there’s still power to that section, is there? Thanks so much, Artoo,” he said icily, “I hadn’t noticed.”

Artoo beeped again, and Anakin threw the wrench at him, missing deliberately. It made a satisfying clatter on the metal deck.

“Stop tormenting that poor astromech,” a voice from above scolded. Obi-Wan. For Kriff’s sake—

Anakin slid out from under the starfighter, but didn’t get up. He gave Obi-Wan a moment to stare down at him, arms folded and eyebrow raised. Once Obi-Wan’s mouth narrowed into a line at the oil stains on Anakin's robes, Anakin spoke. “What do you want?”

“Is there something wrong with your starfighter?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Nothing I can’t fix.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Anakin shrugged. “You don’t answer my question, I don’t answer yours.”

“Don’t be childish.”

“If you’ve got something to say, say it,” Anakin said. “If not…” He used the force to call the wrench to his hand, catching it without looking. “I’m busy.” He tried to slide back under the starfighter’s undercarriage, but was prevented from doing so by a boot on his ankle. “Hey!”

Obi-Wan pressed his weight down, then released him. “I came down here thinking that we could sort this out like a pair of adults,” he said. “Apparently, I was wrong.”

Anakin sat up and brandished the wrench at him. “I said, I’m busy. Or would you rather I fly into battle with a damaged ship?”

“I did ask if it was damaged—”

“And I asked what you wanted.”

“I _told_ you, I wanted to—”

“Save it.” Anakin lowered the wrench. “I’m not in the mood.”

“ _Clearly_ ,” Obi-Wan said, with great feeling.

They stared each other down. Anakin wanted to break something. Vaguely, he noted three clone troopers walk into the hangar, realise that Skywalker and Kenobi were at each other’s throats, and turn back the way they came. Anakin would have found it funny if he wasn’t so—

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said slowly. It was obvious that this took great effort. “Please can we talk about this in a civilised manner.”

A muscle on the left side of Anakin’s face twitched. “Get out.”

Obi-Wan groaned. “Anakin—”

“You heard me.”

Again, he tried to retreat under his starfighter. He made it almost the whole way, then something grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Obi-Wan crouched next to him, his grip durasteel around Anakin’s left forearm. Anakin dropped the wrench as Obi-Wan forced his arm to the ground. He tried to escape Obi-Wan’s cold gaze, but the older Jedi took his chin in his other hand and forced Anakin to look at him.

“I know you’re angry,” Obi-Wan said.

“Full marks for guessing,” Anakin spat back.

Obi-Wan acted as if he hadn’t heard. “I know you’re disappointed. We _all_ are. Nobody is happy that we didn’t manage to destroy that factory. Do you think that I wanted to retreat?”

It had been a while since Obi-Wan had last raised his voice to Anakin like this. “I never said you did,” he replied evenly.

Obi-Wan’s grip tightened on Anakin’s arm and chin, the former to the point of pain, but Anakin refused to let it show. “You are reckless,” Obi-Wan said.

“Tell me something we don’t know.”

“Reckless,” Obi-Wan repeated. “Bad enough that it is with your own life, but I cannot stand by and let you play dice with the lives of your men and your Padawan.”

Anakin’s eyes narrowed. “I would never let anything happen to Ahsoka. _Never_.” He knew that there was danger in his tone, and knew that Obi-Wan could sense it. Good.

Obi-Wan let go of Anakin and knelt. He rubbed the side of his face, leaving streaks of oil behind. “Not deliberately, no.” Some of the fight had gone out of him. Perhaps he realised that he had gone too far. In response, Anakin felt the darkness begin to retreat. “I acted as I did because I had no choice. I hated giving the order as much as you hated following it.”

Obi-Wan looked at him then, Anakin’s own buried guilt and weariness reflected, and Anakin’s anger faltered. He swallowed. “Obi-Wan…” He trailed off. Obi-Wan was the one with the words.

Obi-Wan held up a hand to shush him. “Anakin, perhaps there was a chance we could have succeeded in the mission. Perhaps you were right. But please, please ask yourself what the cost could have been.”

Anakin turned his face away, pressing his cheek to the cool metal floor. He heard Obi-Wan get up and walk away, but didn’t move. Artoo whistled low and mournfully.

“Yeah, buddy,” Anakin told him. “I get it.”

* * *

There were many occupational hazards that came with existing in close proximity to Anakin Skywalker. Becoming covered in mechanical lubricant was one of them. The frequent desire to scream into the void was another.

Obi-Wan emerged from his quarters having fixed the first problem, and put at least a temporary lid on the second. He took a detour on his way back up to the bridge. A quick glance into the hangar revealed Anakin’s long legs still sticking out from under his starfighter, his astromech stationed amid a pile of tools and spare parts. Obi-Wan wanted to go in there and apologise, say something reconciliatory and put the whole affair behind them. What he _needed_ was for Anakin to understand the position Obi-Wan had been in, to understand his reasoning and why, though difficult, it was the right decision to make. He kept walking and called a turbolift.

It scared him, sometimes. Anakin. That dark streak in him that could raise its head and bite indiscriminately, not differentiating between friend and foe. Obi-Wan often wondered if it was his fault, if he’d failed somewhere in Anakin’s training; or if the darkness had been there all along, impossible to eradicate, only to tame. It would be a lie to say that Obi-Wan didn’t have his own demons to repress, a task made all the harder by war, but he could keep a hold of himself. He had once overheard certain members of the Council express the need for Anakin to have a handler, as if he were some wild and exotic pet. Obi-Wan had hated that supposition then, and he hated it now. Anakin was a person. He was a good Jedi, a good friend, and a good man. Obi-Wan had faith in him. It was just that, now and again, Anakin needed reminding.

The turbolift deposited him outside the bridge. The blast doors were open; he could see straight down through to the viewports. A few clones milled about, Cody among them, but it was generally quiet. They’d be at the rendezvous point with the rest of Anakin’s forces aboard the _Resolute_ in a few hours. Obi-Wan had already contacted the Council about their aborted mission. Their new orders were to consolidate their joint forces and await further instruction. The intention was to launch a full offensive on the Separatist factory as soon as was viable, which Obi-Wan would have told Anakin if the man had given him half a chance. Getting his head bitten off was predictable and shouldn’t have stopped him passing on the information. The issue was that, for all Obi-Wan had told Anakin to remember that it wasn’t all about him, for Obi-Wan it very much _was_ about him. The thought of losing Anakin scared him, but the degree to which it scared him terrified him even more. Combined, Obi-Wan’s attachment and Anakin’s flirtation with the dark could prove disastrous, for all of them. 

Lost in his own head, Obi-Wan managed to take four steps along the bridge’s central walkway before all hell broke loose.

He found himself hanging, gripping the edge of the walkway, alarms blaring. Dazed, he clambered back up onto solid ground. People were shouting. He called for Cody, for information, for someone to tell him what infernal calamity had befallen them this time.

Strong hands found his shoulders, steadied him. “General?”

Cody. Obi-Wan fought to centre himself. “What was that?”

“It… well.” Cody’s eyes were wide. He pointed at the viewports.

Obi-Wan looked. Dark sky. The pinprick lights of distant stars. He pulled Cody with him to the nearest console. “Why aren’t we in hyperspace?”

Cody’s brow furrowed. He tapped at the console. “There doesn’t seem to be any problem with the hyperdrive.”

A voice called up from the crew pit. “We’ve been pulled out of hyperspace. Must be some kind of gravity well.”

“Pinpoint the cause,” Cody ordered.

Obi-Wan returned his attention to the viewport. Nothing out there but empty space. “Where are we?”

“Edge of the Unknown Regions, sir,” someone answered. “The hyperspace routes out here are patchy at best, but—”

“But it was the quickest way to reach our rendezvous with the _Resolute_ ,” Obi-Wan finished. Curse it. They should have gone back the way they came, a roundabout trek through the Outer Rim, but Obi-Wan had demanded they take the short cut. The sooner they met up with the _Resolute_ , the sooner they could return to destroy the factory. Whatever this was, it was on him.

“I want a full diagnostic on the hyperdrive,” he ordered. “As soon as that comes back clear, we attempt to jump back into hyperspace. See if we can find what caused this, but it’s not our main priority. I want us out of here the moment we know it’s safe to jump.”

There was something about the situation that unnerved Obi-Wan in a way that he could not yet explain. Around him, the bridge scurried into action. Cody left to confer with a handful of subordinates.

Obi-Wan stood in front of the central viewport and reached beyond, out into the force. His own self fell away; the chaos on the bridge, his troubles with Anakin, concerns about the mission. There was only the force. He spread outwards, searching. Listening.

He felt it. Faint, but growing stronger. Approaching.

“There’s something out there,” he breathed. Something nasty.

He opened his eyes. The noise of the bridge rushed back. The void outside appeared empty once more. Obi-Wan now knew that it wasn’t.

“How’s that diagnostic coming along?” he asked.

“Nearly there, sir. All clear so far.”

So far. Despite everything, he wasn’t willing to risk jumping if there was a problem. They could be pulverised.

Ahsoka and Rex came running onto the bridge. Anakin wasn’t with them, not that Obi-Wan had expected him to be. Hoped, perhaps.

“Master, what’s going on?” Ahsoka asked, coming to a halt beside him. “Why aren’t we in hyperspace? Rex told me we were rendezvousing with the _Resolute_.”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “Something pulled us out.”

“A gravity well?” Rex asked, joining them.

“I don’t think so,” Obi-Wan said.

Ahsoka pressed her hand to the clear barrier of the viewport. She exhaled slowly. “There’s something out there, isn’t there?”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said, proud if stung that she’d sensed it so quickly.

“What kind of something?” Rex asked. “What are we talking? A rogue moon, some sort of astronomical anomaly?”

“No,” Ahsoka said. She dropped her hand and took a step backwards, shuffling closer to Obi-Wan.

Commotion near the turbolifts. Obi-Wan turned to see Anakin make his entrance, oil still smudged across his features, R2-D2 gliding along behind him. His expression was thunderous, his strides determined, and for a brief moment Obi-Wan felt nothing but relief.

“Does anyone want to tell me what the hell is going on?” Anakin demanded.

“Sir,” Rex said. “Something—we don’t know what—pulled us out of hyperspace.”

Anakin brushed between Obi-Wan and Ahsoka to a console, tapping furiously and looking between it and the emptiness outside. “Artoo, get over here.”

Ahsoka hopped out of R2-D2’s way. The droid plugged itself in and started beeping at them, pulling up readouts for Anakin’s attention.

“Okay, so the hyperdrive seems fine,” Anakin said. “It must have been an external force.”

“Oh, there’s no doubt about that,” Obi-Wan said darkly.

Anakin glanced at him, frowned, and gestured at the console. “There’s nothing on any of the scanners.” He looked out of the viewport. “And I don’t see anything.”

“Don’t look with your eyes,” Obi-Wan cautioned. “Reach out with the force.”

Anakin went still. Obi-Wan waited. It didn’t take long.

Anakin’s voice was ragged. “Get us out of here.”

“With pleasure,” Obi-Wan said, grim. “How’s the diagnostic?” he called.

“Complete, sir. Ready to jump on your command.”

“Do it.”

Stars turned to dashes of light, then collapsed back on themselves. Obi-Wan swore.

“The jump failed, sir.”

“I can see that,” Obi-Wan remarked.

“If I may, sir,” Rex said. “If this is a gravity well, or something similar—”

“Then we wouldn’t be able to simply jump away. Yes, Rex, I know.” It had been worth a try. What had he managed to get them into?

Anakin stepped away from the console and faced Obi-Wan. “We should go to full combat readiness,” he said.

“Combat?” Rex asked, but Ahsoka was nodding. Obi-Wan sensed her fear, and shared it. Still, he was hesitant. There were too many unknowns.

Anakin looked as though he’d read Obi-Wan’s mind, and didn’t like what he’d found. “Obi-Wan, whoever this is, they’re hostile. I’ve _felt_ it.” He put his hands on Obi-Wan’s shoulders. “The only reason they haven’t fired on us already is that it would give away their position. We need to be ready to counter-attack if they change their minds.”

Obi-Wan stared up at him, knowing that he was right, but unwilling to act.

Anakin lowered his head, narrowing the distance between them. “Come on, Obi-Wan,” he said. His voice was quiet but strong, his eyes confident, now that they seemed condemned to a fight. Combat always brought out the best in him. “You know it’s the only option. You have to give the order.”

Obi-Wan took a moment to think, a moment they didn’t have, but one he needed. That settled it. He gave a short nod, then took Anakin’s wrists and removed them from his shoulders, stepping backwards. Anakin smiled at him, his intention to reassure marred by the tension in his stance. Obi-Wan released his hold and raised his voice. “General Skywalker, you have command.”

Anakin’s mouth opened in shock, or to object, but Obi-Wan silenced him with a near-imperceptible shake of the head. Anakin looked at him oddly, then recovered. There wasn’t time.

Anakin turned to address the bridge, instantly the great Republic general. “All stations, I want full combat readiness.” The clones stood to attention. “There’s something out there,” Anakin continued, “and we don’t know what, or exactly where, but we do know that nobody’s here to make friends. Keep a close eye on the scanners. Whoever they are, they’re cloaked, and cloaked well, but if they fire on us, we’ll know their position. If and when they fire, I want them to get a full turbolaser barrage in return. Ready proton torpedoes.”

New alarms sounded, triggered by their men on the bridge. Across the ship, more clones would be moving to battle stations. The back of Obi-Wan’s neck tickled, and he glanced out of the viewport, knowing they were being watched.

“What about the gravity well?” Cody called from the crew pit. “We can’t find anything to suggest that there is one, except for the fact that we’ve twice been pulled from hyperspace.”

“I was getting to that,” Anakin said. “Set us on a heading of…” He looked to R2-D2, who whistled at him. “Point-oh-six. Max speed, but don’t divert power from the deflector shields. Ready us on a course for hyperspace; Artoo will provide the coordinates, but don’t jump until I give the order.”

“Sir, yes sir.”

“Well, Master,” Ahsoka said, her false cheer almost painful, “I guess this would be that third bad thing you talked about.”

Anakin clapped her on the back, unsmiling. “Chin up, Snips. If this is the third bad thing, at least we won’t be getting any more.”

Ahsoka huffed. “Yeah, we won’t if we’re all dead.”

“What happened to being optimistic?” Anakin quipped, but he was clearly distracted. His focus was on the less-than-empty space beyond the viewports.

Obi-Wan’s ship was turning, at Anakin’s behest. Ceding command had been the only option. Obi-Wan might know when to pull out of a situation, but Anakin’s military prowess was exceptional, and this situation was nothing if not exceptional. That was the reasoning he’d offer the Council, at any rate. In truth, Obi-Wan had ceded command because he was afraid. He had sensed a presence, out there among the blackness, with a callousness and ferocity that had unbalanced him. No Sith lord or acolyte of the dark side had ever exercised such a terrible hold over him. He felt helpless against it. The _Negotiator_ needed a commander who could resist.

“Who do you think they are?” Ahsoka asked.

Anakin grimaced. “Nobody I want to meet.”

“Separatists?” Rex offered.

“No,” Obi-Wan said quickly. He saw Anakin appraise him out of the corner of his eye.

“Definitely not Separatists,” Anakin agreed. “Not Sith, either. I really, really don’t like this. Whose bright idea was it to come out to the edge of the unknown, anyway?”

“Mine,” Obi-Wan admitted. He clasped his hands behind his back rather than give in to the urge to reach for Anakin, here, in front of everybody. “I have some regrets.”

“I’ll say,” Anakin said, but without malice. He closed his eyes.

“What are you doing?” Obi-Wan asked him.

“Using the force. Trying to sense when we’re out of range of whatever it is that’s keeping us from entering hyperspace.”

“What could do that, anyway?” Ahsoka wondered. She moved to stand between Obi-Wan and her Master. Obi-Wan understood her need to feel protected, but selfishly resented her coming between them.

“Beats me,” Anakin murmured, absorbed. “It can’t be natural, or we’d be able to sense it in the force.”

Obi-Wan pondered, pleased to have something to think about other than that terrible presence. “You think it’s some kind of gravity generator? Wouldn’t our scanners have picked it up?”

“It could be cloaked,” Rex offered.

Anakin shook his head. “You can’t cloak a gravity generator. The two fields would cancel each other out.”

“Then I fear it may remain a mystery,” Obi-Wan said. Nobody contradicted him.

The waiting was interminable, unbearable. Shuddering, Obi-Wan closed his own eyes and called on the force, intent on helping Anakin, but he didn’t last long. The presence was too strong for him, too discomforting. His high respect for Anakin grew larger, and he focused on his face. Sweat was beading on Anakin’s brow, mixing with the oil that covered him like war paint. 

Eventually, Anakin’s eyes snapped open. “Jump, now!”

Once more, they jumped. The stars flattened. Obi-Wan held his breath, somehow faintly aware of others doing the same. A hand grabbed his own.

Blue swirls of hyperspace.

Obi-Wan’s shoulders slumped. The hand in his tightened. He looked down—it was Ahsoka’s. Her other gripped Anakin’s left glove. 

The atmosphere on the bridge lightened, tensions deescalating, and Obi-Wan felt as if the _Negotiator_ itself were unwinding. The three Jedi stood in contrast, unmoving, slow to come down from high alert. Obi-Wan cautiously touched the force. No trace of the presence, except that which echoed in his mind and in his bones.

“That was an experience,” Rex said.

Obi-Wan extricated himself from Ahsoka, not unkindly. Embarrassment coloured her relief, but her continued unease was palpable. He looked to Anakin, yearning again to reach for him. For reassurance, for comfort, but also to show Anakin that he loved him. That suddenly seemed very important. He had to tell him. Anakin had to know.

The darkness that swirled within Anakin no longer frightened Obi-Wan. He had seen worse.

Obi-Wan dug his thumbnail into his forefinger and forced down hysteria. He was a Jedi Master, not a youngling. No alien presence should be allowed power over him like this. “You handled that well,” he told Anakin.

Anakin licked his lips, screwing up his face at the apparent taste of oil. “Thanks. I, er…” He coughed, and wouldn’t make eye contact. “I had Artoo set us on a course back to the _Resolute_ through the Outer Rim. He saw that that’s where we were originally headed.”

“Thank you,” Obi-Wan said, wrong-footed by the resentment in Anakin’s explanation. He was searching for his next sentence, something to soothe the wound, when Anakin started to walk away. “Where are you going?”

“Back to the hangar.” Anakin paused, but didn’t look back. “My fighter’s still in pieces. You don’t need me anymore.”

Ahsoka stepped between them. “Master, wait,” she said, as Obi-Wan said, “Anakin, don’t—”

Anakin left the bridge. Ahsoka ran after him. Obi-Wan let them go.

The worst part of the war for Obi-Wan was the responsibility. He was a General, and had to behave as one. As a Jedi, he needed to speak with Anakin and Ahsoka about what they had just experienced. As a friend, he needed to make certain that Ahsoka wasn’t as traumatised as he felt, that Anakin wouldn’t draw into himself and bury his feelings to rot. As a man, he needed a stiff drink and a lie down.

As Obi-Wan, he needed Anakin.

As General Kenobi, he instead straightened his posture. He ordered the _Negotiator_ down from full combat readiness. He checked headings and data. He contacted first the _Resolute_ , then Coruscant, providing the Jedi Council with an interim report. He agreed that both ships would be ready to rendezvous with reinforcements in two rotations for the assault on the Separatist factory; agreed to meet with Yoda personally to discuss the presence in the Unknown Regions. He made tentative plans with Cody and Rex for the coming mission, tentative due to the cavernous absence of General Skywalker and Commander Tano. He pushed away fear, and want, and fatigue.

Like so many times in his life, Obi-Wan Kenobi put what he needed aside, and did what he had to do.

* * *

He’d sent Ahsoka to bed. She was shaken, but she’d be okay. She was strong, and young, and already her mind was on their return to destroy the factory. She’d been the one to tell Anakin about that; that after rendezvousing with the _Resolute_ they were going back to blow the Separatists to hell.

It hurt that Obi-Wan hadn’t told him. Anakin was willing to admit that he may not have given him the chance or the inclination, but even so. Obi-Wan loved his protocols, and withholding important and pertinent information from a fellow general of the GAR was definitely against protocol. Anakin assumed it was, anyway. It ought to be, at least when the generals in question were named Kenobi and Skywalker. There was too much that Obi-Wan kept from him, too often, and Anakin was sick of it.

That was why he’d left the bridge. Going through the data with Artoo had shown him just how much he was being kept in the dark by Obi-Wan, _again_ : on their mission, their location; heck, they’d been pulled from hyperspace and nobody had even told him. He’d known something was wrong a second before the entire cruiser juddered and had immediately headed for the bridge, but that wasn’t the point. Someone should have called his comlink. He hadn’t had time to be angry then, not while the ship was in danger. But once he’d got them safely into hyperspace, once the adrenaline and fear had faded, anger was what he had been left with, and Obi-Wan’s compliments on his handling of the situation had only made it worse. How could Obi-Wan condemn Anakin’s command style, calling him _reckless_ and _childish_ , then praise him five seconds later? Was he only useful in a crisis? Was this the Council at work, keeping Anakin at arms-length until it suited them?

He’d had to leave before he’d done something he might have regretted.

Anakin crawled shirtless onto his bunk and buried his face in the pillow. It smelled of fuel, like most things on the ship, but it also smelled of Obi-Wan. Anakin groaned. It would be so much easier to hate him. To pretend that Obi-Wan really didn’t care about him, that the Council and the Jedi and the Code were all the man ever thought about, his only loyalties. To be able to just be angry, to give in to it, without the awful guilt and sense of betrayal.

He turned over to stare at the ceiling. He counted the marks scratched there, just for something to do. Each was a night he’d spent on this ship, in this bed. Whenever a Jedi stayed on another’s ship, they made do with whatever quarters were available. Not so for Anakin. He had his own specific cabin on the _Negotiator_ , just as Obi-Wan had his on the _Resolute_. Anakin had started it, providing Obi-Wan with a room within his command suite on the _Resolute_. Newly knighted, he’d been trying to impress his former Master, to show off. He should have known that Obi-Wan would provide for him in kind, never one to be outdone. They’d laughed later, knowing then that they couldn’t have planned better for a secret relationship if they’d tried. They always had an excuse to be in the other’s quarters, and it was easy to slip into a foreign bed unseen.

It was a less convenient arrangement when they were fighting. Anakin debated going back to the hangar, finishing the repairs on his starfighter, but it had taken an age to get all of the oil out of his hair. He didn’t mind it so much, it was better than having a head full of sand, but Obi-Wan hated it. Another instance of Anakin going out of his way to make Obi-Wan happy, and Obi-Wan had the gall to accuse him of not considering others.

The main door to the suite opened and closed. Obi-Wan was back. He’d been gone for hours. Anakin sat up and pulled on his tunic, automatically going to check on him. He stopped himself before he reached the cabin door. If he went out there, he wasn’t sure if he’d end up kissing Obi-Wan or screaming at him. He sat back on the edge of the bunk and put his head in his hands, listening.

There wasn’t much to hear. Footsteps. Clattering in the main room, the office. Silence.

Footsteps again, coming his way. Obi-Wan paused outside the door.

“Anakin?”

His voice was quiet, in case Anakin was asleep. Anakin didn’t have to respond, could pretend he really was sleeping. Obi-Wan would know that he wasn’t, but would be respectful enough to go along with it.

Anakin got up and opened the door.

Obi-Wan looked awful. Exhausted. Nervous, but not of Anakin. He had the same look on his face that he had been wearing when Anakin left the bridge, the same one that had taken Anakin an age to wipe from Ahsoka’s features. Fear. Raw, animalistic fear. Obi-Wan hid it well, but Anakin knew. He’d felt it himself.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. 

Anakin didn’t give him time to say anything more, to apologise, or excuse, or criticise. He took him into his arms and crushed him to his chest, raising his right hand to cradle Obi-Wan’s head against his neck. Obi-Wan made a soft sound of surprise, then pressed his face to the top of Anakin’s shoulder. Anakin’s flesh thumb rubbed circles into his back.

Slowly, Obi-Wan relaxed into Anakin’s hold. His shoulder was starting to feel damp, but Anakin said nothing. There were a lot of things he could say, a lot he wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure any of it would be helpful. They were so attuned to each other after so many years that Anakin could sense Obi-Wan’s feelings without even trying. This was no time to be making accusations.

“Anakin…”

“I got you,” Anakin murmured. “It’s okay.”

Obi-Wan shifted. “You’re angry.”

That attunement went both ways, to Anakin’s discomfort. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me.” Obi-Wan raised his head. His eyes were pink around the irises. “Anakin, I—”

Anakin kissed the corner of his mouth. “Don’t. Not now. You need me not to be angry right now, and I can’t promise that it’ll stay that way if you keep talking.”

Obi-Wan made a sound that was almost a laugh. “You’re right. You’re right, Anakin, I do need you not to be angry, but what you need—”

“What I need,” Anakin interrupted, “is for you to be okay.”

Obi-Wan stared at him. Anakin wondered what he’d said. What Obi-Wan was thinking. Wondered if it would be too much of an overstep for him to reach out with the force and—

He wasn’t prepared for Obi-Wan to start sobbing into his shoulder, hands fisted in his tunic.

If Anakin had still been angry when he opened the door to Obi-Wan, he couldn’t be now. He had never seen Obi-Wan like this. Never. Fear licked at him and he pushed it aside, giving in instead to a wave of protectiveness stronger than anything he had felt for his mother, or Ahsoka, or Padmé. He brought them down to the bunk, pulling Obi-Wan into his lap.

There was little Anakin felt he could do except hold Obi-Wan and let him cry it out. It was unsettling. Anakin was the emotional one. Anakin was the one who had nightmares, who needed someone to cling to, to be lied to that everything would be fine. Never Obi-Wan. 

What in all the Sith hells had they encountered out there?

Obi-Wan kept apologising, and Anakin told him it was okay so many times that when Obi-Wan went quiet, Anakin had almost convinced himself that it was. Obi-Wan needed it to be.

“I am sorry,” Obi-Wan said again. He sniffed.

Anakin kissed his forehead. “So you’ve said.”

Obi-Wan took a few deep breaths, and Anakin knew he was gearing up to something. He tightened the cage of his arms, in case that something was getting up and leaving. Anakin wasn’t letting him out of his sight, not after that. He didn’t think he would be able to for quite some time.

“It scares me,” Obi-Wan whispered.

Anakin brushed a hand through Obi-Wan’s hair. He’d sensed it, of course, but for Obi-Wan to admit his fear took bravery. Anakin only found it chilling. “What does?”

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. Anakin waited.

“You,” Obi-Wan said.

Anakin went cold. “I scare you?” His voice cracked.

Obi-Wan grabbed his wrist and fixed him with an intense gaze. “ _No_. No, Anakin.”

“Then what—”

“I’m not scared _of_ you, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. “What scares me is—” He hesitated. “What scares me,” he went on quietly, “is the thought of losing you.”

Oh.

Again, that surge of protectiveness. Anakin raised his left hand to run along Obi-Wan’s jaw, his wrist still caught in Obi-Wan’s grip. “You’re not going to lose me,” he promised.

“We don’t know that,” Obi-Wan protested. “You don’t. That’s why I get so… _frustrated_ when you take these insane risks. That’s why I hate it when you take your men and Ahsoka along with you, not only because you’re putting them in danger, but because none of them are stopping you.”

“If we don’t take risks,” Anakin said gently, “we’ll never win this war.”

Obi-Wan leaned into Anakin’s touch. “I’m not asking you not to take risks. Only to be a little more mindful about how much you are risking.”

It was almost the same thing as Obi-Wan had said to him in the hangar, but now Anakin was ready to hear it. If Obi-Wan tried half of the things Anakin got up to, Anakin would be a nervous wreck. For anything to happen to Obi-Wan was unthinkable. “Okay,” he said. “I get it. I’ll try.” Obi-Wan looked doubtful. “Really,” Anakin insisted. “Just… promise me I won’t lose you either.”

Obi-Wan flashed him the smallest smile. “I’ll do my best.” The crease between his eyebrows remained, which was no surprise to Anakin. They’d had bigger rows about Anakin’s exploits, closer shaves, and never before had it driven Obi-Wan to a breakdown.

“This isn’t just about me, is it?” Anakin stated.

“No.” Obi-Wan nestled closer. “That… presence.”

“I know,” Anakin said, his suspicions proven. “It was like nothing I’ve ever felt before. The hatred…”

“Yoda wants to talk about it in person.” Obi-Wan clearly didn’t, but even Anakin would concede that he didn’t have a choice. They couldn’t keep this to themselves.

“To you, or…?”

“To me,” Obi-Wan clarified, “but I can’t imagine he’d complain if you accompanied me. A second perspective would no doubt provide more illumination than my account alone.”

Anakin certainly could imagine Yoda complaining, but didn’t say so. He could read between the lines. Obi-Wan wanted him there. That was enough for Anakin to agree. The strong effect that this presence, as Obi-Wan had called it, had had on the man was evident. If Obi-Wan had to relive it, Anakin would be right at his side, Yoda be damned.

“I’ll go with you,” he said. “I got a decent enough impression of it while I was focused on escaping the gravity field.” He thought back. “It felt like a single entity, but the more I think about it, the more I’m sure that it wasn’t. Not a hive mind, but not individuality, either.”

Obi-Wan shivered. “Whatever it was, I hope the sight of a Republic cruiser scared it off. If Yoda wants to go and investigate, he’s welcome to. I’m not volunteering.”

“Me neither. And Ahsoka’s definitely not going.”

Obi-Wan pulled back a little. “How is she?”

“She’s okay,” Anakin said shortly. He hadn’t meant to be so blunt. He couldn’t entirely regret it, either.

Obi-Wan sat up and took Anakin’s hands in his. He looked a far cry from a Jedi Master. “I’m sorry I accused you of not caring about her safety.”

Anakin nodded. That had stung, deeply, and he wasn’t ready to forgive Obi-Wan for that.

“You’re still angry with me,” Obi-Wan said.

Anakin looked down at their laps. Part of him was still angry. He couldn’t deny it, though he was ashamed. He knew how Obi-Wan felt about him, how much he trusted him. He couldn’t imagine Obi-Wan ever breaking down like that in front of anybody else, not even Qui-Gon.

“It’s not because you pulled us out of the mission,” Anakin said. If he didn’t bring this up now, here in this room with Obi-Wan holding his hands, tunic still wet with his tears, he never would. “It’s just… sometimes I think you keep things from me.” He didn’t add his fears about the Council. Obi-Wan could put two and two together without Anakin needing to spell it out.

Obi-Wan took time to respond. It was better than an outright denial. “Sometimes I do.” Anakin looked at him sharply. “Are you telling me that you don’t keep things from me?”

Anakin said nothing. Memories of Tatooine, of black rage, came into his mind. He told himself that that was different. That secret protected Obi-Wan, protected them both.

Obi-Wan squeezed his fingers. “Anakin, I promise you, I would never keep anything from you without good reason. Do you trust me?”

Anakin bit his lip. He did trust Obi-Wan, mostly, but there were a lot of holes in that promise, a lot of gullies to hide in.

“Do you trust me?” Anakin countered.

“Trust you?” Obi-Wan’s face lit up with incredulity. He laughed without humour. “Anakin, I love you.”

His voice broke, and Anakin’s heart thudded. He’d known it. Hearing it was another matter. “You love me?”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said, leaning closer. “Of course I love you. And I _do_ trust you.” He shook his head. “There are times when I think that I trust you more than I trust myself.”

Anakin thought of the bridge. Obi-Wan ceding command. “But the Council—”

“Anakin, do you honestly think that I could choose the Council over you? I am afraid that would take a degree of selflessness that I do not possess.”

He said it so casually, as if it were self-evident, that it took a moment for his words to sink in. Anakin reached out with the force. He sensed no deception. “Are you serious?” he croaked.

“Completely,” Obi-Wan said. His eyes shone. “I _will not_ lose you, Anakin. Force help us all.”

A shadow passed across Obi-Wan’s face, but Anakin ignored it. He kissed him. Obi-Wan pulled them down to lie side by side on the bunk, pressed together tightly, hands in each other’s hair. Anakin tasted salt. He broke away, nearly whacking his head against the wall. He placed his bare left palm flat against Obi-Wan’s chest.

“Obi-Wan—”

“You don’t have to say it,” Obi-Wan whispered. He covered Anakin’s hand with his own. “Don’t feel that I’m—”

“I love you.” Anakin leaned back in and kissed him again, slowly.

He expected to feel lighter, but the opposite was true. Obi-Wan melted beneath him, no longer afraid. Anakin knew that was because of him, and now he was the one who felt scared. There were so many ways that he could fail Obi-Wan, hurt him, and he could not let that happen. 

His mother had been wrong. Bad things never limited themselves to three. They kept coming. It was easier to count the few good moments that interspersed them. This would be one of those, but it wouldn’t last. Anakin would return to the _Resolute_. The war would rumble on. The bad would again outweigh the good. Anakin curled his metal fingers around the back of Obi-Wan’s neck, a reminder of the knife edge they walked.

He had made a promise to Obi-Wan that he would never lose him. He hoped he would prove strong enough to keep it.

**Author's Note:**

> It seems that fics are like buses for me; wait years for one, then two come along at once. We'll see if I can keep this up.
> 
> In case the tags weren't clear, the strange presence is a Grysk warship. If you haven't already, check out Timothy Zahn's canon "Thrawn" novel trilogy. The Grysks are super intriguing and generally terrifying, and it was fun to play with them (albeit at Obi-Wan's expense)!


End file.
